The Quest for Togetherness
by crystal sword
Summary: Set approximently two months after the amber spyglass, Lyra discovers a map that leads to the antidote for the sickness that occurs when other people live in a world other than their own. After going to the angles to ask them for help Lyra along with Will


The little three roomed apartment with the peeling paint and dimming lights was to become William Parry's new home laughing at the shocked look on her new roommates face Doctor Mary Malone said rather mildly,

"I believe that this place is going to need a bit of fixing up."

"Yes", said Will rather dazedly, "Um Mary are you sure this is the right apartment or has there been some kind of mistake?"

"Nope I'm afraid this is as good as it's going to get," said Mary walking into one of the other rooms. 'Besides," she continued "you've only seen one room so far. Boy, you modern day kids can be so judgemental, in fact some of my friends had to live in much worse apartments then……………

Her sentence was cut short and replaced with a high-pitched scream.

Will hurrying in after her came face to face with the biggest rat he had ever seen. After a quick fleeting Glance around the room he was startled to find that Mary had somehow managed in her haste to climb an extremely unstable cabinet and was at the present waving a broom covered in cobwebs at the rat's behind. Mary seeing Will screamed at the top of her lungs, "Will don't just stand their like a gaping goldfish do something" and with that she threw the broom right at Will's head. If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes he most probably would have been knocked out. As it was he only just managed to catch it before swinging the broom above his head he charged at the monstrous rodent before him. The rat clearly startled by all the noise charged out between Will's legs and then scuttled around the corner down the hallway and through the door. Cursing at the stupid creature

Will turned back around and helped an ashen looking Mary down.

"You were saying?' Will replied in an almost innocent voice.

"Not one word Will, I warn you, not one word"

Laughing Will asked Mary if she would like a nice cup of hot tea. At her weak smile he began the hunt for a decent kettle.

Meanwhile in a parallel Universe Lyra Silvertongue was gazing down at a little golden instrument that lay nestled in her lap. Watching the thin needle spin almost faster then the eye could catch Lyra frowned. The alethiometer was trying to tell her something, something important if only she could understand. What if it was telling her something about Will? With a newfound inspiration to concentrate Lyra leaned over the object once again. After a few moments she gasped in disbelief. Pan who had been busy sleeping on her bed looked up and said in a rather reprimanding voice, "Lyra for goodness sake put the alethiometer down and come to bed or if you insist upon studying the darn thing then at least keep the noise down."

"But Pan, she whispered hardly daring to believe what she was going to tell him, I understood it, I understood the alethiometer for the first time in ages and it told me about a map hidden in the library archives."

Pan intrigued despite himself got up from his resting spot and promptly jumped up and landed on Lyra's shoulder. Craning his rather long neck over her shoulder he asked. "A map to where?"

"Lyra's heart had begun to beat rather faster than usual, "A map to the place where medicine can be found." Lyra stated rather breathlessly.

"Medicine is that it! Do you mean to tell me that you woke me up in order to tell me about a map that does not lead to a life time of riches but to a pathetic box of medicines that most probably cure some nonexistent disease." Pan basically roared.

"No it's far more important than that, it's a map that leads to the medicine that cures the disease that Will's father caught.

"Ain't he dead?" said Pan rather Unbrightly.

"Of course he's dead you dim witted daemon." Lyra scolded.

"Then I don't see why this medicine is so important", Pan, stated matter of factly choosing to ignore Lyra's insult to his intelligence.

"I should have remembered to never try to have a normal conversation with you when you've just woken up." Lyra stated disdainfully

"It's not my fault you're talking in riddles" Pan replied darkly.

Sighing Lyra said quietly "The illness Will's dad caught was caused by him living in a world that wasn't his. This map leads to the place where the ingredients for the antidote are."

A light suddenly dawned in Pan's eyes "That means if we find this map and follow it then we could take it and go and live with Will and Kirjava without ever having to worry that we would eventually waste away of disease."

"Exactly," said Lyra with tears of joy on her face "We could be together forever and nothing would ever separate us again."

"Just one moment Lyra I've had a thought."

"Finally" Lyra teased in a much happier voice then before.

"Well there seems to be quiet a few flaws in this grand scheme of yours. For starters how do we find the map and even if we do, won't it cost a great deal of money to mount an expedition like this and when we have this medicine how are we supposed to find our way back to Will's world because in case you have already forgotten the angles have closed all the openings."

Lyra stared at Pan for a moment before replying excitedly "Money won't be a problem. I have plenty of that and as for finding an opening I'll just ask the angles, I'm sure they'll agree to open one slit for us if we can convince them that we plan to stay and besides if anyone can convince them it would be me."

"Well", Pan said rather resignedly, "I suppose if you go and ask them first I might agree to this crazy plan of yours at least then we won't be wasting our time in finding the antidote and not being able to use it."

"Fine", said Lyra to happy to care. She was going to see Will again and that was all that mattered.


End file.
